AUBURN, Alabama -- Whatever else can be said about Jonathan Wallace's
first start as an Auburn quarterback, the kid's resilient.

Wallace started slow, took a hard shot to the chest and
tossed the first interception of his career, all in the first three series of
his first start at the collegiate level.

But he kept picking himself back up.

"We will look back tomorrow and see some things obviously he
can do better, but overall I couldn't be more pleased with the way he managed
the team, directed the team, made plays at critical times in the game," head
coach Gene Chizik said.

Wallace, the freshman from Central-Phenix City who shined
after getting a chance against Texas A&M when the game was out of reach,
couldn't answer all of the questions surrounding Auburn's quarterback position
right away.

Asked to test New Mexico deep early in the game, Wallace
struggled, under-throwing an interception into double coverage and overthrowing
Sammie Coates after the receiver broke free behind the coverage.

On the interception, Wallace could have hit Emory Blake, who
came open on a 15-yard out route.

To his credit, the freshman knew he wanted that one back.

"It was a bad read and a bad throw, all in a nutshell,"
Wallace said. "You can't have those kinds of mistakes, especially next week."

Wallace is right. With a game against Georgia and one of the
SEC's most fearsome pass rushers in Jarvis Jones looming, he has to eliminate
throws like that.

But he also showed on Saturday that he can get back off the
canvas. After starting the game 2-of-7, Wallace settled down and completed
7-of-9 passes the rest of the way to finish 9-of-16 for 164 yards and a
touchdown.

Wallace admitted to battling nerves at the start,
understandable for a freshman who spent the week preparing for his first start
under the scrutiny of a fan base desperate for more from a position that came
into the game ranked 101st in pass efficiency.

"There's some things that you just have to get over and play
ball," Wallace said. "When it comes down to it, you've just got to play ball."

What was a little surprising was how little Auburn asked
Wallace to run. A gifted runner who has been solid as the Tigers' Wildcat
quarterback, Wallace only had three carries for nine yards, although it took a
play he made with his feet to start to turn his game around.

Facing a 3rd-and-5 early in the second quarter of a 0-0
ballgame, Wallace dropped back, couldn't find a receiver and saw a hole.

Rather than hesitating, Wallace pulled it down and picked up
eight yards. Four plays later, Wallace hit Emory Blake for 18 yards over the
middle in a drive that resulted in a touchdown, and Auburn's running game took
over after the half.

"I did some things good, I did some things bad," Wallace
said. "You can't get complacent. We've got a big game next week."

From here on
out, the task gets much harder for Wallace, who has the defenses of Georgia and
Alabama left on the schedule.

He's going to take some lumps. As hard as he's worked,
Wallace is still an inexperienced freshman playing behind an offensive line
that has struggled to pass protect.

What matters for Wallace going forward is that when things
go wrong, he keeps finding ways to pick himself off the canvas.